Magnetic mailbox signal



G. A. LINDAHL 3,080,107

MAGNETIC MAILBOX SIGNAL Filed Jan. 19, 1962 March 5, 1963 J y a mill INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,080,107 MAGNETIC MAILBOX SIGNAL Gustaf Adolph Lindahl, 3124 44th Ave. S., Minneapolis 6, Minn. Filed Jan. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 167,332 2 Claims. (Cl. 232-35) This invention relates to a mailbox, and more particularly to a signal device or signal attachment for a mailbox.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a signal device for a mailbox whereby the signal device is adapted to be used for conveniently indicating when a mailbox such as a rural mailbox has been opened.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic mailbox signal which is constructed so that when the mailman opens the mailbox door, the mailbox signal arm will be moved to a horizontal position to indicate that mail has been delivered, and wherein the signal of the present invention is simple to install since it is not necessary to drill any holes, and wherein a magnet is used for eliminating the necessity for using a detent mechanism or the like, and wherein only one screw and nut is required when assembling or installing the magnetic mailbox signal of the present invention on a mailbox.

Still another object is to provide such a magnetic mailbox signal that is economical to manufacture and eflicient in operation and which is rugged in structure and foolproof in use.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a mailbox equipped with the magnetic signal of the present invention and showing the signal in raised position.

*FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, and showing the signal in raised position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view with the parts in the position of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the magnetic mailbox signal of the present invention, and with parts broken away.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing a portion of the signal arm and magnet, and with parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view illustrating the mounting bracket or member.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a portion of a conventional mailbox which includes the usual housing or body member 11, and as shown in the drawings the body member 11 includes an arcuate or generally rounded top portion 12 as well as the usual spaced parallel vertically disposed side portions 13, and the mailbox 10 is provided with a normally vertically disposed door 14 having its lower end pivotally connected to the lower ends of the side portions 13 by pins 15, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1. The pins 15 permit swinging movement of the door 14 from the normal position closing the mailbox to a position forwardly of and away from the housing so as to provide access to the interior of the housing or mailbox.

As conventionally constructed, the mailbox housing includes a latch mechanism 60 for releasably holding the door 14 in the closed position. This mechanism includes a strip 17 of metal having a vertical portion 18 secured by rivets 19 to the door 14 adjacent the upper end of the door 14. The strip 17 includes a portion acting as a finger 20 projecting from the upper end of the door 14, the finger 20 having an upwardly facing hump 21, A

Patented Mar. 5, 1963 depending lip 22 on the free end of the finger 20 provides a finger grip for the hand of a person when opening the door 14.

A keeper 23 has a portion 23' adjacent one end projecting forwardly of the housing top portion 12 and a portion 24 adjacent the other end is secured by rivets 25 to the housing portion 12. The keeper portion 23' has an indent section 26 which coacts with the hump 21 to provide a releasable detent means An upwardly bent section 27 on the free end of the keeper portion 23' serves as a thumb rest against which the thumb of a person opening the door 14 may be placed so as to provide leverage for the finger or fingers engaging the lip 22.

The keeper 23 and the finger 20 have holes 27' and 20, respectively, for the half of a padlock (not shown) when it is desired to lock the door in the closed position.

The present invention provides a signal device which may be mounted on the mailbox without deforming by holes or rivets the mailbox in any manner except to insert a bolt through the hole in the keeper.

The device of the present invention consists in an L-shaped bracket 28 having a relatively wide long leg 29 provided with a hole 30. The bracket has a short leg 31 of less width than the leg 29 and the leg 31 is provided with a hole 32. A fastening means or bolt 33 extends through the hole 32 and through the keeper hole 27' and secures the bracket 28 to the keeper 23 with the short leg 31 horizontally disposed and with the long leg vertically disposed and above the short leg 31.

A normally vertically disposed lever 34 is disposed exteriorly of and adjacent the door 14 with the portion 34' adjacent the upper end extending above the door 14 and with the portion 34" adjacent the lower end in front of and in the path of movement of the door 14. The lever 34 is provided with a hole 35 through which a pivot pin 36 extends connecting the lever 34 to the bracket long leg 29. The pin 36 connects the lever 34 to the bracket 28 for swinging movement in a vertical plane from a normal position to a substantially horizontal position with the lever upper end portion 34 above and adjacent the housing top portion 12 and with the lever lower end portion 34 outwardly and free of the door 14.

A magnet 38 is fixed to the side of the lever 34 adjacent the door 14 by means of a bolt or other fastening element 39. The door 14 is fabricated of magnetically attractive material and the magnet 38 releasably holds the lever 34 in the upright or vertical position by the attraction of the magnet 38 to the door 14.

In use, the owner of the mailbox after taking mail therefrom closes the door 14 and swings the lever 34 to the upright position so that the magnet 38 engages the door 14. When the person delivering the mail opens the door the door upper edge will engage the lever 34 and will serve to pry the magnet 38 away from the door 14 so that the door may be opened and the lever shifted from a vertical position to the horizontal position in which the magnet 38 and the lower end portion 34" of the lever 34 are free and clear of the door 14. The owner of the mailbox observing that the lever 34 is no longer in the vertical position thereby is informed that the mailbox door has been opened and closed.

Although the invention herein described is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and that the invention is not to be limited to the details of construction herein described other than as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mailbox including a housing having vertically disposed side portions, a top portion extending over the upper ends of said side portions, a normally vertically disposed door arranged so as to close one end of said housing and having the lower end hingedly connected to the lower ends of said side portions for movement from the normal position to a position swung outwardly of said housing, an outwardly projecting finger carried by said door adjacent the upper end of the latter, and a keeper projecting from said housing top portion, said finger and keeper having coacting detent means thereon for releasably holding said door in the normal position, said keeper being provided with a hole therethrough, an L-shaped bracket disposed with the short leg thereof horizontal and with the long leg thereof vertical and above said short leg, fastening means extending through a hole provided in the short leg and through the hole in said keeper, securing said short leg to said keeper, a vertically disposed lever normally disposed exteriorly of and adjacent said door with the portion adjacent the upper end extending above said door and with the portion adjacent the lower end abutting said door, said lever being connected to said bracket long leg for swinging movement in a vertical plane from the normal position to a substantially horizontal position with the lever upper end portion above and adjacent to said housing top portion and with the lever lower end portion above and free of said door, and releasable holding means on said lever lower end portion engaging said door when said lever is in the normal position.

2. In a mailbox including a housing having vertically disposed side portions, a top portion extending over the upper ends of said side portions, a normally vertically disposed door arranged so as to close one end of said housing and having the lower end hingedly connected to the lower ends of said side portions for movement from the normal position to a position swung outwardly of said housing, an outwardly projecting finger carried by said door adjacent the upper end of the latter, and a keeper projecting from said housing top portion, said finger and keeper having coacting detent means thereon for releasably holding said door in the normal position, said keeper being provided with a hole therethrough, an L-shaped bracket disposed with the short leg thereof horizontal and with the long leg thereof vertical and above said short leg, fastening means extending through a hole provided in the short leg and through. the hole in said keeper, securing said short leg to said keeper, a vertically disposed lever normally disposed exteriorly of and adjacent said door with the portion adjacent the upper end extending above said door and with the portion adjacent the lower end abutting said door, said lever being connected to said bracket long leg for swinging movement in a ver tical plane from the normal position to a substantially horizontal position with the lever upper end portion above and adjacent to said housing top portion and with the lever lower end portion above and free of said door, and releasable holding means embodying a magnet on said lever lower end portion engaging said door when said lever is in the normal position, said door being fabricated of magnetically attractive material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,366,323 Maserang Jan. 18, 1921 1,685,874 Feist Oct. 2, 1928 2,267,072 Beggs Dec. 23, 1941 2,592,555 Gensmer Apr. 15, 1952 2,874,895 Opp Feb. 24, 1959 2,924,376 Johnson Feb. 9, 1960 3,014,641 Sowton Dec. 20, 1961 3,017,073 Piergiovanni Jan. 16, 1962 

1. IN A MAILBOX INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING VERTICALLY DISPOSED SIDE PORTIONS, A TOP PORTION EXTENDING OVER THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS, A NORMALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED DOOR ARRANGED SO AS TO CLOSE ONE END OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVING THE LOWER END HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS FOR MOVEMENT FROM THE NORMAL POSITION TO A POSITION SWUNG OUTWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING, AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING FINGER CARRIED BY SAID DOOR ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF THE LATTER, AND A KEEPER PROJECTING FROM SAID HOUSING TOP PORTION, SAID FINGER AND KEEPER HAVING COACTING DETENT MEANS THEREON FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID DOOR IN THE NORMAL POSITION, SAID KEEPER BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOLE THERETHROUGH, AN L-SHAPED BRACKET DISPOSED WITH THE SHORT LEG THEREOF HORIZONTAL AND WITH THE LONG LEG THEREOF VERTICAL AND ABOVE SAID SHORT LEG, FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH A HOLE PROVIDED IN THE SHORT LEG AND THROUGH THE HOLE IN SAID KEEPER, SECURING SAID SHORT LEG TO SAID KEEPER, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED LEVER NORMALLY DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF AND ADJACENT SAID DOOR WITH THE PORTION ADJACENT THE UPPER END EXTENDING ABOVE SAID DOOR AND WITH THE PORTION ADJACENT THE LOWER END ABUTTING SAID DOOR, SAID LEVER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET LONG LEG FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE FROM THE NORMAL POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION WITH THE LEVER UPPER END PORTION ABOVE AND ADJACENT TO SAID HOUSING TOP PORTION AND WITH THE LEVER LOWER END PORTION ABOVE AND FREE OF SAID DOOR, AND RELEASABLE HOLDING MEANS ON SAID LEVER LOWER END PORTION ENGAGING SAID DOOR WHEN SAID LEVER IS IN THE NORMAL POSITION. 